Another challenge in the fight against the curly top virus is that the disease is transmitted in minutes.
Fast Transmission of Curly Top Virus
Beet leafhoppers are not only hard to pinpoint due to migration habits, but they also transmit the curly top virus to plants quickly. UC Davis Plant Pathologist Dr. Bob Gilbertson says the insect only tastes the tomato plants before moving on, but that short contact is all it takes.